Venetian blind assembly



June s, 196i F. GRIESSER 2,987,120 VENETIAN BLIND ASSEMBLY Filed Aug.26, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FRITZ GRIESSER INVEf/TOR BY M u m ATTOR/VEY5June 6, 1961 F. GRIESSER 2,987,120

VENETIAN BLIND ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 26, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,F/aa

INVENTOR 7 Fritz Gr/esser 5 l0 3 A WWW WW 6 ATTORNEYS June 6, 1961 F.GRIESSER VENETIAN BLIND ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 26, 1958FRITZ GRIESSER INVENTOR BY WM ti/ma ATTORA/E vs United States Patent C)2,987,120 VENETIAN BLIND ASSEMBLY Fritz Griesser, Aadorf, Switzerland,assignor to Griesser'A.G., Aadorf, Switzerland Filed Aug. 26, 1958, Ser.No. 757,356 6 Claims. (Cl. 160-.-25)

This invention relates to a Venetian blind assembly, and moreparticularly to a Venetian blind assembly in which there is provided inthe space between the uppermost of the pivotable slats and the housingcontaining the shaft on which the blind isrolled up a plurality of slatswhich are prevented from pivoting with the pivotable slats to provide acovering over this space.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No.524,184, filed July 25, 1955, now abandoned.

A disadvantage of Venetian blinds of the type in which the slats and theguiding and pivoting tapes are all wound up on the shaft mounted abovethe opening over which the blind is positioned, is that there is a gapbetween the uppermost pivotable slat and the top of the opening, whichmust be present to give the uppermost slat room to pivot on the guidingtapes. It is an object of the present invention to provide a Venetianblind assembly which overcomes this disadvantage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a Venetian blindassembly in which not only the space between the uppermost of thepivotable slats and the top of the opening is covered but which alsoprovides the advantages of a narrow opening in the housing through whichthe blind assembly is raised and lowered.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following specification and the appended claims, taken togetherwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section through a lowered Venetian blindassembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a detail of the assembly on an enlargedscale;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section similar to FIG. 1 of a modificationof the Venetian blind assembly, on a somewhat smaller scale; and

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of aportion of the Venetian blind assemblyof FIG. 4.

As seen in the drawings, the Venetian blind assembly comprises a windingshaft 1 which is rotatably mounted in a housing 30 therefor, the housingbeing mounted over the window opening 31 or the like which is to becovered by the blind. The winding shaft 1 is rotated by means of awinding device 2 which is geared to the winding shaft 1 in aconventional manner. The housing has an opening 22 therein, which issubstantially the same length as the blind assembly and which isrelatively narrow as compared to the slats 3 of the blind assembly.

Secured to the winding shaft 1 are the upper ends of two guiding tapes4, which may be of steel or the like and which extend through theopening 22. Guide rails 7 are mounted on the sides of the window openingand guiding tapes 4 extend along these guide rails. An end rail 8 issecured to the lower end of the tapes 4.

A plurality of thin slats 3 and a plurality of cover slats 3a areprovided, which slats are made of metal and are curved transversely oftheir length. The slats are provided at their inner edges with anupwardly bent bead, while the outer longitudinal edge is bentdownwardly. The slats 3 and 3a haxe their ends pivotally connected tothe guiding tape 4. For this purpose a pin 5 is provided at each end ofthe slats and is attached thereto by a stif- 'i'ce' Patented June 5,3961 fening member (not shown) for the slats. The pins 5 are insertedinto eyes 6 on the guiding tapes 4.

The ends of two steel pivoting tapes 9 are secured to the windingshaft 1. The inner edges of the slats 3 are pivoted to these tapes,whichlikewise extend downwardly through the opening 22. The slats 3 havecut-out portions adjacent to the ends of the slats into each of whichisfitted an eye 10 which is secured to the tapes 9 by spot welding orthe like. A pin 11 extending through the eye 10 and fitting into thebead on the edge of the slat 3 forms the pivotal connection between theeyes and the slats.

There is provided at least one separate tape 20 which is pivoted tothe'beaded edges of each of the cover slats slats 3a and which projectlaterally of the slats and throughwhich the pivoting tapes 9 are passedto guide them pastthe cover slats 3a. These loops may be providedon all.of the cover slats 3a, or only on one or two of-them, as is shown inFIG. 1.

.In operation, as the winding shaft 1 is unwound, the guiding tapes 4with the slats 3 and the cover slats 3a thereon will be guided down theguide rails 7 until the end rail 8 reaches the bottom of the guide rails7. At this point, all of the thin slats are in the closed postion, thatis they are pivoted so that they are substantially vertical, as are thecover slats 3a in FIG. 1. Since they present a relatively narrow profilein this position, it is easy for them to pass through the narrow opening22 in the housing 30.

However, upon further rotation of the winding shaft 1 in the directionfor unwinding the tapes, the slats 3, which have their beaded edgespivoted to the tape 9 are pivoted about the pins 5, which remainrelatively stationary in the guide rails 7 on the guide tapes 5, by thecontinued movement of the tape 9 in the downward direction. Since thetape 9 is not attached to the cover slats 311, these slats remain in theclosed position. Moreover, since the tapes 4 will tend to try andcontinue moving downward,

but will be prevented from doing so by the end rail 8 abutting the sillof the window opening, the upper ends of the tapes 4 will curve awayfrom the tape 9, tending to tilt the uppermost of cover slats 3a awayfrom the tape 9. This will result in an upward .pull on all of the coverslats 3a through the separate tape 20', thus positively preventingtilting of the cover slats 3a to the open position.

Thus it is seen that even thoughthe tiltable slats 3 have been tilted tothe open position, the cover slats 3a have been kept in the closedposition providing the covering for the gap between the uppermost of thepivotableslats and the bottom of. the housing. At the same time, all ofthe slats can .pass through :the narrow opening into the housing withoutditficulty.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the uppermost of the thincover slats 3a has been replaced by a thick rigid cover slat 3b which ispivoted to the guiding tapes 4. at 32 as. well as zit-33. The pivot 32is the same type of connection as for the other slats, but theconnection at 33 is in the form of a block 34 on the tapes 4 into whichis rotatably inserted a pivot pin 35. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the sizeof the block 34 is such that it cannot pass into thev guide rails '7.

The purpose of. providing a rigid thick cover slat is to provide asupport for the central regions of slats which are so long that theycannot support themselves. A further guiding tape 25 is provided whichis secured at 26 to the thick rigid cover slat 3b. This guiding tapeextends downwardly through apertures 36 in the slats beneath the coverslat 3b and is secured toeach slat on one edge of the aperture 35. Theseparate tape 20 in this embodiment is secured to the slat 3b at 24since it is in the position farthest removed from the uppermostpivotable slat 3. An additional length of tape 27 is secured to the slat3b at 28 and extends around winding shaft 1.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understoodfrom the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changesmay be made in the form,

"construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its materialadvantages, the forms hereinbefore described and illustrated in thedrawings being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

Iclaim:

1. A Venetian blind assembly comprising a winding shaft, a plurality ofguiding tapes suspended from said winding shaft for winding andunwinding around said shaft, a plurality of thin slats pivotallyconnected at their pivoted at their ends to said guiding tapes betweenthe uppermost of said plurality of thin slats and said winding shaft, aseparate tape secured to the edges of the cover slat of said pluralityof cover slats closer to the uppermost thin slat of said plurality ofthin slats and secured to the slat of said plurality of cover slatsfarthest away from said uppermost thin slat for holding said cover slatsin the closed position, and a housing for said winding shaft surroundingsaid winding shaft and in which said winding shaft is rotatably mounted,said housing having an elongated aperture in the wall thereof of a widthless than the width of one of said thin slats and said cover slats andthrough which said tapes and slats pass during the unwinding and windingup of said blind with the slats in the closed position, at least theuppermost of said cover slats lying Within said elongated aperture inthe lowered position of said blind.

2. A Venetian blind assembly comprising a winding shaft, a plurality ofguiding tapes suspended from said winding shaft for winding andunwinding around said shaft, a plurality of thin slats pivotallyconnected at their ends to said guiding tapes for rotation around thecentral longitudinal axes of said thin slats, at least one pivoting tapesuspended from said winding shaft for winding and unwinding around saidshaft, each of said thin slats being articulated to said pivoting tapeat the edge of said thin slat for producing, with the blind in thelowered position and upon further rotation of the winding shaft in thedirection for unwinding of said tapes, a pivoting of said ing having anelongated aperture in the wall thereof of a width less than the width ofone of said thin slats and through which said tapes and thin slats andcover slats pass during the unwinding and winding up of said blind withthe slats in the closed position, at least the uppermost of said coverslats lying within said elongated aperture in the lowered position ofsaid blind.

3. A Venetian blind assembly comprising a winding shaft, a plurality ofguiding tapes suspended from said winding shaft for winding andunwinding around said shaft, a plurality of thin slats pivotallyconnected at their ends to said guiding tapes for rotation around thecentral longitudinal axes of said thin slats, at least one pivoting.

tape suspended from said winding shaft for winding and unwinding aroundsaid shaft, each of said thin slats being articulated to said pivotingtape at the edge of said thin slat for producing, with the blind in thelowered position and upon further rotation of the winding shaft in thedirection for unwinding of said tapes, a pivoting of said thin slatsinto the open position, a plurality of cover slats pivoted at their endsto said guiding tapes between the uppermost of said plurality of thinslats and said winding shaft, a separate tape secured to the edges ofthe cover slat of said plurality of cover slats closer to the uppermostthin slat of said plurality of thin slats and secured to the slat ofsaid plurality of cover slats, farthest away from said uppermost thinslat for holding said cover slats in the closed position, and at leastone loop secured to the edge of one of said plurality of cover slatsthrough which said pivoting tape passes and by which said pivoting tapeis guided past said plurality of cover slats.

4. A Venetian blind assembly comprising a winding shaft, a plurality ofguiding tapes suspended from said winding shaft for winding andunwinding around said shaft, a plurality of thin slats pivotallyconnected at their ends to said guiding tapes for rotation around thecentral longitudinal axes of said thin slats, at least one pivoting tapesuspended from said winding shaft for winding and unwinding around saidshaft, each of said thin slats being articulated to said pivoting tapeat the edge of said thin slat for producing, with the blind in thelowered position and upon further rotation of the winding shaft in thedirection for unwinding of saidtapes, a pivoting of said thin slats intothe open position, a plurality of cover slats pivoted at their ends tosaid guiding tapes between the uppermost of said plurality of thin slatsand said winding shaft, and a separate tape secured to the edges of thecover slat of said plurality of cover slats closer to the uppermost thinslat of said plurality of thin slats and secured to the slat of saidplurality of cover slats farthest away from said uppermost slat forholding said cover slats in the closed position.

5. A Venetian blind assembly as claimed in claim 4 thin slats into theopen position, a plurality of cover slats pivoted at their ends to saidguiding tapes between the uppermost of said plurality of thin slats andsaid winding shaft, a separate tape secured to the edges of the cover'slat of said plurality of cover slats closer to the uppermost slat ofsaid plurality of thin slats and secured to the =sl-at of said pluralityof cover slats farthest away from said uppermost thin slat for holdingsaid cover slats in the closed position, at least one loop secured tothe edge of one of said plurality of cover slats through which saidpivoting tape passes and by which said pivoting tape is guided past saidplurality of cover slats, and a housing for said winding shaftsurrounding said winding shaft and in which said winding shaft isrotatably mounted, said housslat.

away from said uppermost thin slat is a thick rigid cover slat and isfurther connected to said guiding tapes by a second pivot on each end ofsaid thick rigid cover slat, and said plurality of guiding tapesincludes a guiding tape extending through said thin slats between theends thereof and secured thereto and to said thick rigid cover 6. AVenetian blind as claimed in claim 4 in which said other of saidplurality of cover slats are of the same type as the thin slats of saidplurality'of thin slats.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBechtler Nov. 5, 1957

